Ferris State University students gain valuable work experience through internships. Internships also can confirm or redirect career decision-making, provide marketability, develop people skills and enhance classroom learning. Many academic programs require one, but the experience is encouraged regardless to provide students with a better understanding of what will be expected of them in the workplace.
Many students are participating in myriad internships this summer. Meet:
Erick Hannahs
Erick Hannahs
He is: a Construction Management major and an alumnus of the Building Construction Technology program. Erick is from Muskegon and is interning with Walker-based Triangle Construction on their Ferris projects this summer.
His Internship and Making a Difference: “The focus of my internship is to learn the general dynamic of a job site and what it takes, beyond the fieldwork itself, for a job to be successful through pre-construction, project start, and to turning the project over to the owner. I am making a difference by being on-site to help with any questions from our sub-contractors, as well as documenting the project through photographs, daily logs, and requests for information.”
How Did Ferris Help You Secure Your Internship? “I connected with Triangle at Ferris’ Career and Internship Fair in Fall 2022. The other big component of my internship was that Triangle had already begun constructing the new Center for Virtual Learning on campus. I worked there before the Rock Café and Miller Hall renovations started.”
Future Plans: “I hope to get a full-time job as a site superintendent or a project management position after graduation. On the professional side of things, this internship will help me develop interpersonal skills, such as professional communication, and teach me how to handle issues that come up effectively and efficiently.”
Advice for Students Seeking Internships: “Get your name out there as much as you possibly can. Be known in the industry you intend to work in. The most effective way to do this is to have a professionally built resume and distribute it to as many companies as possible whether you plan on working there or not. High-end firms commonly communicate with their competitors and all it takes is your name to go across the right person’s desk and you land a dream job.”
Other Campus Activities: “I am currently sitting president of the Fishing Club at Ferris State. We are a registered club sport that competes each summer in bass fishing tournaments across the State of Michigan and the opportunity to fish national level events in different states.”
Ferris Core Value Erick Relates to: Collaboration. “I see collaboration in the construction industry daily whether it be in person, or through telecommunications. For the new Center for Virtual Learning and the Rock Café/Miller Hall renovation, we collaborate with Ferris State project managers every day to ensure they are receiving the intended finished product.”